Ethel K. Smith Library

The Ethel K. Smith (EKS) Library maintains a collection to support the learning experiences of the students and the teaching and research activities of the faculty and staff of Wingate University. The primary focus of the collection is on materials that serve the undergraduate curricula, but as graduate programs increase the Library will endeavor to support those programs with appropriate additions to the collection. In aid of this mission, the Library provides access to a number of online research databases and to an online catalog of the more than 102,000 volumes housed in the facility.

The EKS Library’s database subscriptions provide students with online access to a variety of scholarly journal and newspaper titles beyond the Library’s print holdings. These holdings span from general academic resources to discipline-specific, scholarly journals, etc. In order to expand offerings, the EKS Library’s InterLibrary Loan Department enables students to access research materials from a world-wide array of academic and research institutions.

A variety of study options are available in the EKS Library including individual study carrels in the Quiet Room, several group study spaces, and general areas for individual or group work. For those who bring their laptops to the EKS Library, Wireless LAN access and wet carrels are available in several areas of the facility, including the Ethel K. Café coffee shop on the first floor. The building also includes an electronic instruction lab equipped with computers for interactive teaching, which students may employ for assignment research, specialized software packages, and personal use when the room is not reserved for class.

The EKS Library is staffed with highly trained, professional librarians available to assist students in their research endeavors and to instruct individuals or entire classes in the most effective and efficient research applications available in today’s academic library. The computer commons in the Reference Department is specifically designed for the purpose of such instruction, with the goal of cultivating a basic, inter-disciplinary, transferable skill set regarding applied research. In person, phone, and online (instant messaging service entitled “Ask Ethel”) reference help is available to all Wingate students. Individual appointments with a Reference Librarian are available. To inquire about this service, contact the Reference Desk at refquestions@wingate.edu or 704-233-8097.